Senator Warner Meets with Small Business Owners in Charlottesville

Virginia Senator Mark Warner met with small business owners in Charlottesville Friday. Warner says he's looking to make businesses grow, but needs feedback to figure out how.

More than two dozen business owners came out to the Albemarle County Office Building to learn about how a bill proposed by Warner could make it easier for them to borrow money to expand.

Warner introduced Senate Bill 2155 back in November. The bipartisan bill would reduce regulations on small community banks and would make it easier for them to extend credit to main street businesses so they can expand and create jobs.

Warner says the bill would keep existing regulations on the big Wall Street banks but would offer much needed relief to smaller banks.

"A small business can't grow unless they can get a loan, unless they can get access to additional capital,” Warner stated. “I want to hear what else - beyond the banking reform bill we'll take up next week - that we can do from Washington to make sure they can continue to grow their businesses which means growth of jobs in the region."

Senate Bill 2155 is expected to be heard on the floor of the Senate as early as next week. Warner says he thinks the bill will pass the Senate with more than 70 votes and will then move to the floor of the House to be debated there.

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Caroline Coleburn joined the NBC29 News Team in September of 2017, while finishing her B.A. in media studies and government at the University of Virginia. You can reach Caroline via email or on Twitter.

Caroline Coleburn joined the NBC29 News Team in September of 2017, while finishing her B.A. in media studies and government at the University of Virginia. You can reach Caroline via email or on Twitter.